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ZE2160SF04 General Electric Microwave - Instructions

All installation instructions for ZE2160SF04 parts

These instructions have been submitted by other PartSelect customers and can help guide you through the microwave repair with useful information like difficulty of repair, length of repair, tools needed, and more.

Original lamp burned out.

After looking up on the computer a schematic of the unit, all that was needed was removing four screws to remove the top and side cover which was one piece. Next was removal of electrical connection to burned out lamp, then removing burned out lamp and installing the new lamp and reconnecting electrical connection.Job was complete after reinstalling the cover.

Microwave now working with new lamp lighting when in use.

Both Intermittent- and No-Heating

First, I read the PartsSelect DIY report by Linda, Warsaw, IN. With confidence, I purchased the magnetron. Upon receipt, I took the built-in microwave out of the cabinet, set the unit on the kitchen floor, and was stopped cold by the Safety Torx nuts on the reverse of the unit. Borrowing the right wrench allowed the 20 minute start-to-finish part changeout and reinstallation of the unit in the cabinet to proceed. The old magnetron was the defective part. Discovery of the 10-year Parts-Only warranty on the less than 10-year old unit was insufficinet to guide me to take the unit in for their Labor bill to repair. New part in hand, it just was that easy - and assumed to be no less expensive.

The turntable would not turn, and made a clicking sound

Thanks to great instructions from a previous person, this was super easy. It took 5 minutes to remove and replace the new motor. The big part of this job was cleaning out the cabinet where the microwave sits, since I had to take it out.

There is a 'door cover' pressed into the bottom of the microwave, that just has 6 small tabs that you need to cut. Then remove 1 screw, and the wire clip and the motor is changed. The door just reverses and re-installs with 1 screw. When the microwave was designed, this repair was in the engineers mind. So simple I couldn't beleive it.

Scratched Plexiglass

I checked out the two posts here. The one that said that the Plexiglass and Stainless Steel snapped off as one unit didn't work for me. Tried gently to pry stainless trim but it didn't want to budge and I didn't want to force it. The second advice about using a thin knife to run down behind the Plexiglass worked.There is some kind of adhesive that stays sticky that is right at the opening edge of the door so you just have to gently break through the stickiness seal. As noted, you can bend the panel out in the middle, grab it, and slide it out toward you. Take the protective coating off the front of the replacement part and slide it in, bending it slightly in the middle so that, when it is fully in, you can push it against the sticky part to hold it in place.This was real easy. The hardest part was getting the part delivered without it getting scratched. It has a protective film on the front, but nothing protects the back and the Shipping Department insists on sending it out with nothing to protect the back from the bouncing around it gets in its oversized cardboard box. (no bubble wrap, no wrapping plastic, no peanuts). The first one arrived with the back heavily scratched. The second try (I explained the problem but the second was shipped exactly the same way as the first) had only a couple of abrasions on the back so I settled for it.Customer Service is excellent but someone should tell Shipping not to send out Plexiglass sheets without protecting both sides.

Turntable stopped turning

I detached the metal plate on the bottom of the microwave that once removed by cutting the metal tabs could then be turned around and put back in place with 1 screw. The old motor was easy to detach (1 screw) and unplug. Hardest part of the whole project was finding where to get a replacement motor so I'm glad I stumbled on your website. Once the part was received it took just a couple of minutes to replace and it works great.My husband called about getting it serviced and was told it would be at least $100 just for labor, parts would be additional. I'm now an electronic goddess in his eyes....

First I ordered and replaced the diode. That did not help. Then I ordered both the magnetron and the thermostat magnetron because I didn't know what I was doing. After I replaced those, it still wouldn't heat. So I called an electrician. He noticed I had knocked a wire loose. I connected it and the microwave worked. I reconnected the old magnetron, just to test it. It didn't work. Then I put the new one back in. It's working just fine now! It took quite a while to put everything back in place because it was a built-in. But it was a lot cheaper than getting a new microwave, even with the cost of a repair man to show me I had a loose wire!

The motor was going bad and stopped intermittently.

I unplugged the microwave and turned it over. It was easy to spot where the motor was located. I noticed the cover had little tabs holding it in place. I noticed it had brackets that could be snipped and the cover reversed so the little tabs and hole for the metal screw could be installed. I used snips and cut the little tabs and removed the cover. The motor had one screw and a tab that held it in place. I unplugged the motor first removed the screw and changed the motor. Then I plugged it into the wiring harness.The plastic piece for the turn table dropped out. I used pliers and straightened the tabs turned the plate over and put two small extensions in the slots and removed the metal screw and pushed the tabs in place and the metal screw through the hole and tightened. I then set the microwave in place and opened the door and pushed the plastic piece into its proper place. I then got a cup of water and heated it up.

turntable wouldn't turn

On the bottom of Microwave I cut the 6 clips holding the cover in place with side cutters. Removed the one screw holding motor in place. Un plugged it. Plugged in new motor, replaced screw. Filed off sharp points of clips. Slid cover tabs into slots, put screw in cover. Replaced parts inside oven, turned it on, it worked. I did this twice. The first time the plug fell inside the housing and I had to turn the microwave over to fish it out. So when I received new part I left it plugged in. I should make it clear I am talking about the plug to the motor not the one to the microwave. Of course I unplugged that before I even moved the microwave. Thanks to another customer and his repair story because I was dreading the chore of dismantling the entire microwave to get to the turn table motor. He made it so easy. Thank you for having the part and great instructions.

Melted spot on microwave door

My wife tried cooking popcorn without the rotating glass plate in the microwave. The door of the microwave required no tools to remove. The front plexiglass and the stainless steel trim simply snap off as a unit. Then the plexiglass slides out. Reverse to reassemble.

Would not start and error sensor came on read out

Removed the unit from counter, opened metal housing, removed Humid sensor from top left side of unit, unpluged wire from curcuit board. Installed new Humid senor, metal housing and reinstalled unit into counter top. Microwave works like new.

ThanksJohn

Post-Construction Cleaning People Used Brillo Pad on Microwave

My brand new never used microwave had the plexiglass all fogged up by no good cleaners using harsh abbrasives. The repair was quite simple but took a few minutes to figure out. You open the door and look at the end of the door. You can see the plexiglass screen edge. Slide a knife under the edge and work it up and down releasing the two face tape that holds it in place. Then using the knife to gently hold the plexiglass off of the tape simply slide it out the end. Put some two face tape on the new plexiglass in the same location, slide it in (bowing out the plexiglass while you slide the last little bit where the tape is) and once all the way in, press down to engage the tape. That is it.

Interior Light Bulb Failed

Light bulb repair was super easy once I got the out shell of the microwave off. The unanticipated problem was that I didn't realize the outer shell was secured with unusual "Security Torx" screws I have a couple star screw drivers but these were very unusual and could not find a proper screwdriver to remove them. I was able to force them lose with a small philips screwdriver and a pair of channel lock pliers. It took me quite a while to get the screws off this way but once I got them out and the outer shell off the microwave the light bulb replacement took less than 10 minutes. You should market the appropriate screwdriver to remove the outer microwave shell with any interior replacement parts.

Our microwave oven stopped working one day when the door was closed. The clock stopped showing, the light didn't come on when the door was opened, and the microwave couldn't be started. It acted as if it lost power. So, we did the usual things such as check the plug and the circuit; these were fine. I then removed the cover (need special bits called "Security Bits" which you can buy from Home Depot for $8.00). After removing the cover, be sure to discharge the capacitor (do a Google search to learn how to do this; fortunately, this microwave has a resistive circuit to ground to discharge the capacitor after about 30 minutes of being unplugged). After I discharged the capacitor, I checked the fuse and it was blown. So, I went to the store to buy a new fuse. When I replaced the fuse, and plugged the unit back into an outlet, the circuit blew as soon as I opened the door. This made me realize the faulty components were the "interlock" switches. These are relays (an electric switch) that cause the microwave to shut off when the door is opened and the inside lamp to illuminate when the door is opened. There are two "primary" switches and a "monitor" switch. I checked both primary switches for continuity (do a google switch for "checking interlock switch"). The one interlock switch was bad, meaning, it wasn't opening when it was suppose to. I ordered a replacement and also replaced the Monitor switch too (not sure why, I guess because it was only $6 to buy). After replacing the bad primary interlock switch, I put it all back together and we're working now!